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A client approval workflow is a fixed path every deliverable takes before you treat it as signed off. Name one approver for each type of item before work starts. Send them one clearly labelled version with a deadline. Then record who approved which version, when and where. If the client goes quiet, follow a timed plan that ends with a revised date. Don't let silence turn into an unwritten yes.
Below are an approver matrix, a request template, an approval record and the plan for silence.
Step 1: the approver matrix
The person who gives feedback isn't always the person who can say yes. Sort that out at onboarding, item by item. Fill in a small table like this one for each client:
Item type | Approver | Backup approver | Gives feedback only | How they approve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Design concept | {name, role} | {name} | {names} | Reply "Approved" to the review email |
Final artwork or drawings | {name} | {name} | {names} | Reply "Approved" to the review email |
Quote or change to scope | {name} | none | {names} | Signed change form |
Supplier order, e.g. fabric or furniture | {name} | {name} | {names} | Reply "Approved" plus deposit paid |
Draft accounts or report | {name} | {name} | {names} | Reply "Approved" to the review email |
Anything published under their name | {name} | none | {names} | Reply "Approved" to the review email |
A few rules make the matrix hold up:
- One approver per item type. If two people must both agree, say so in the row and wait for both.
- The backup approver only steps in when the main approver is away and has said so. They also step in once the silence plan below runs out.
- Anything that changes price, scope or dates goes through whatever your signed agreement says. A reply email may not be enough. If you aren't sure what your contract requires, check it before you rely on an email yes.
Step 2: tie every approval to one version
The argument you want to avoid later is "that's not the version I approved." A naming rule and one link per review make that much harder to happen.
- Name files with the client, item and version:
{Client}_{Item}_v3_2026-10-21.pdf. - Send one link or one attachment per review, never three.
- Say what changed since the last version, in two or three lines.
- When a new version goes out, mark the old one as replaced so feedback on it can't be read as approval of the new one.
- Keep revision requests with the version they were about. If someone asks for a change to v2 after v3 has gone out, check whether v3 already covers it before you make v4.
Step 3: send one review request
Subject: {Client}: {item} v{n} for approval by {date}
Hi {approver first name},
{Item} v{n} is attached / at this link: {link}.
What changed since v{n-1}:
- {change 1}
- {change 2}
By {date and time}, please reply with one of these:
- "Approved" if it's ready to go
- The specific changes you want
- Any question that's stopping you deciding
Once it's approved we'll {next step, e.g. place the order / send it to print / file it}.
{Your name}
The last line says what approval sets off, which tells the client why the deadline is real.
Step 4: keep an approval record
You don't need special software for this. A spreadsheet next to your email works. One row per approval:
Field | Example entry |
|---|---|
Client | {client} |
Item | {item} |
Version | v3 |
Sent to | {approver name} |
Sent on | {date} |
Due by | {date} |
Decision | Approved / Changes requested / Question |
Decided by | {name} |
Decided on | {date and time} |
Where the decision lives | Link to the email or signed form |
Next step triggered | {e.g. order placed} |
Save the email or signed form itself and link it from the sheet. If anyone questions it months later, the link in the last column should take you straight to the client's own words.
Step 5: what happens when the client stays silent
Unless your client agreement says otherwise, treat silence as "not yet approved." Then follow a fixed plan so a quiet client doesn't freeze the project.
When | What you do |
|---|---|
Deadline day, no reply | Short reminder to the approver. Repeat the deadline and what's waiting on it. |
2 working days after | Second reminder. Ask if someone else should approve this one. |
4 working days after | Message the backup approver or main sponsor. Say what's on hold and what it does to the schedule. |
5 working days after | Confirm in writing that the item is on hold and give the new date for the next milestone. |
These day counts are a starting point. Shorten them for urgent items such as supplier orders with a deadline.
Here's the fourth-day message:
Hi {sponsor first name},
We sent {item} v{n} to {approver} on {date} for approval by {date} and haven't heard back yet.
Until it's approved we can't {next step}. That pushes {milestone} from {old date} to {new date}.
By {date}, could you or {approver} either approve it or tell us what needs to change?
{Your name}
Stop every reminder the moment someone replies. A person on your team reads the reply and updates the record before anything else is sent.
For an example of a tool that keeps approval decisions with project items, see Programa’s client approval features. A dedicated approval tool may suit teams that need client-facing version review. The record above can also be kept in your existing tools.
How to set it up in the tools you already use
- Add the approver matrix to your onboarding checklist, so it's filled in before the first review.
- Agree the file naming rule with your team and use it on the next deliverable.
- Save the review request as an email template.
- Start the approval record as a sheet with the fields above.
- Put the silence plan dates in the record. A due date field plus a filtered view of overdue items is enough to see what to chase each morning.
- After a month, look at which items went past the deadline. If it's always the same client or item type, change the approver or the deadline for that one.
The reminders and the record are the parts worth automating first, because they're the same every time. Runnrr sets up that kind of follow-up on top of the email and spreadsheet or project tool a firm already uses. If you want to talk through one approval workflow, see how Runnrr sets up a workflow.
Frequently asked questions
How do you set up a client approval workflow?
Name one approver per item type at onboarding. Send each deliverable as one labelled version with a deadline and a clear set of choices: approve, request changes or ask a question. Record who approved which version and when, with a link to their reply. Use a timed reminder plan if they don't answer.
What is a named approver?
A named approver is the one person on the client side who can give final sign-off for a type of item, such as designs, quotes or draft reports. Others can give feedback, but their comments don't count as approval.
Is client silence the same as approval?
Not unless your signed agreement says so. Treat silence as not yet approved, send reminders, then tell the sponsor what's on hold and give a new date in writing.
What should an approval record include?
The client, item, version, who it was sent to, the due date, the decision, who decided and when, plus a link to the email or signed form that holds the decision.
How do you stop clients approving the wrong version?
Put the version number in the file name and subject line. Send one link per review and list what changed. Mark older versions as replaced so feedback on them isn't mixed up with the current one.
